Eliza stood silent as Lucius made some last, final tweaks to her new gown.
"So... Why did I have to change dress again?" She lifted part of the red frock. "What was wrong with the green one?"
"I just had a... Moment of inspiration." Lucius grinned, only a small glimpse of concern in his eyes. He had no idea if Catherine's love for red extended to her maids or if it was a strictly-Catherine thing, but he'd decided to gamble. If he noticed the others wearing non red clothes they always had Eliza's first option.
"So we're dressed in opposite colours," Samueli commented, holding out his arm to compare his emerald green sleeve, courtesy of being a Phion worshipper on Phion's day, to Eliza's deep red one. "At least people won't think we're... Up to something."
"Oh, goodness no." Eliza chuckled with an exaggerated, posh accent and brought out her fan. "A devoted maid and an old kitchen worker would never plan anything against their employers."
"Yeah, so..." Lucius made a face, slumping his shoulders with a sigh. "... It turns out Catherine will be here."
The other two stared.
"You said she's never here!" Eliza half whispered, half exclaimed. "Isn't she gonna need her maids at the ready then? At the very least not stuck in the kitchen."
"I know, I really didn't think she'd be here." Lucius matched her tone. "But Anthony already told Damien that he'd found a replacement for the sick maid so it might as well be you."
"But I'm not a maid." Eliza placed a hand against her chest. "I can cook and clean well enough but I can't act properly around a fucking lady."
"Mind your language," Samueli joined in, but looked equally troubled. "It changes things though. We might not be able to get a hold of food like this."
"It would be hard for you to work alone in the food cellar," Lucius agreed with an apologetic grimace. "You can't smuggle the food outside without Eliza working in the kitchen."
"So what, we're not doing it?" Eliza's voice was disappointed. "I'm just supposed to be an unqualified maid all night for nothing?"
"We could back out," Samueli suggested with a pat on her shoulder. "Say you were unable to make it, and we'll celebrate at the orphanage instead."
"No, I—" Lucius gave them a pleading look. He didn't want to celebrate without them. Sending them home without what they came for and then not getting to be there was too awful. "Just... Please stay. It's not what you wanted, but you're here now and the food's supposed to be good. And you even managed to find people to take care of the children. You might as well enjoy yourself."
Eliza pursed her lips, brow furrowing in thought.
"I do get paid, right?"
"Of course!" Lucius threw his hands out, smile returning and eyes brightening up. "A well paid job too!"
"And I suppose we could get a hold of some food to bring back." Samueli seemed less impressed still, but surrendered with a shrug. "As much as our pockets could manage at least."
"Exactly." Lucius breathed out. "We'll just have a nice evening, even if it's with stuck up assholes."
"Don't remind me." Samueli shook his head. "I'll be looking at you two, the food, and nothing else."
"That's gonna seem suspicious." Lucius still smiled, strained and exaggerated for sure but he wasn't about to scare Samueli off. "Just try to find the least stuck up people and stay there any time we're not around."
Samueli's lip curled.
"That's asking a lot."
"Pretty please." Lucius batted his eyelashes, consequently receiving a flick on the nose.
"Let's just head inside," Samueli said with a sigh, while an offended Lucius placed a hand over his nose.
"What does Lady Marberry look like?" Eliza whispered as they were welcomed into the dining hall. "You'll at least follow me to her, right?"
"She's very pretty, and very... Red." Lucius couldn't think of anything else to say, but it was a spot on description regardless. "And of course I will."
Looking around, he could spot neither Anthony nor Damien, or Catherine for that matter. Were they perhaps supposed to arrive later? Anthony hadn't said anything earlier though.
"Lady Cromwell!" A sudden impact against Lucius' already aching chest sent a shockwave of pain along his spine, and Lucius braced every nerve in his body to not let it show.
"Young Lord Clausson," Lucius acknowledged through gritted teeth, looking down at the boy who was hugging him tight. "How... Pleasant. You seem to be in good health."
"I'm so excited!" Frey took a step back, now clasping Lucius' hands instead and wearing a face brimming with admiration that was, though not at all showing, doubtlessly fake. "It's been so long since we last met, and this feast is looking to be so much fun. Just ask my father how much I've been looking forward to it!"
Lucius smiled, stifling a nervous laugh and instead chose to lean into the act.
"Now, now... You shouldn't cling to me like that... Frey." He looked around, concerned about what people would think but to his surprise the people around him looked about as astonished as he felt.
He glanced down at the boy who was still beaming at him, yet obediently letting go of his hands, and then casually back at the crowd around them. Was that all it took? The approval of an insufferable runt with long eyelashes?
Playing along, he flashed a smile in the crowd's direction, accompanied by a resigned shrug as if to say 'look at this hopeless, yet precious, child'.
They all, to Lucius' continued shock, returned the smile, so he kept up his supposed act of affectionate role model until they'd all moved on.
Then Frey's expression died, as if someone had stopped time, scooped out every trace of emotion from him, and then restarted it again.
"Lady Cromwell," his empty voice said, emphasising the 'lady'. "Who are they?"
He made a small gesture in the direction of Samueli and Eliza, and Lucius sucked in a breath to keep the initial plan going.
"This is Miss Garlic. A temporary replacement for one of Lady Marberry's maids." He gestured to Eliza, who raised an awkward hand as a greeting, then moving on to Samueli. "And Mr. Faal is an old friend of my family, experienced in the instrument market as well."
Frey's accusatory stare didn't let up, but he let out a low hum and reached into his pocket to produce a pair of gloves.
"Suppose I'd believe for a moment that Mr. Faal's arms underneath that last year's coat were made of more fat than muscle..." Frey said as he put his gloves on, quickly grabbing hold of Samueli's hand immediately after to look at it. "... Calluses, dry, cracked skin, and the occasional scar, does not sound like an upper class merchant, does it?"
Samueli remained quiet, but shot a bewildered look in Lucius' direction.
"Manual labour," Frey said, nose wrinkled and voice dripping of disdain as he let go of the hand. "You brought peasants to the BBT's feast of healing."
The trio glanced at each other, the other two likely trying to process the doll-faced child who was effortlessly tearing their story apart with one look at them.
Lucius released a sigh.
"Frey—"
"Young Lord Clausson," Frey corrected him, not bothering with eye contact as he carefully removed the gloves from his hands. "Though I'm beginning to understand you're rather forgetful when it comes to titles, certainly not making things easier for yourself... Or me, for that matter."
"It's for a good reason," Lucius tried, and Frey scoffed.
"I don't care about your reasons." He unceremoniously let his gloves fall to the floor. "If you keep destroying your reputation like this you have to realise I can't do anything about your future failure."
"You're a child." Lucius tried turning the tables regarding titles and positions. "I'd never trust you with anything. Certainly not my reputation. I just don't want you to snitch."
"Snitch?" Frey's lip curled at the word, a wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. "And this whole 'child' treatment you're giving me needs to stop."
"You are a child," Lucius leaned in to whisper. "It's not my fault you don't know how to be one."
"Lady Cromwell, don't you think it's time we stop bothering this clearly adolescent lord?" Samueli finally intervened. "Lest someone should notice such unbecoming behaviour."
Lucius stared at Samueli. 'Lest'?
"Well, isn't it nice?" Frey said while inspecting his nails, not sounding delighted at all. "Even the commoner knows better than you. Perhaps he should be the fraud in charge of this town."
"Listen, Young Lord Clausson." Lucius' voice remained a whisper. He knew just as well as Samueli that yelling at a child was unacceptable, but the devious honey bee was stepping on his very last nerve. "Had it not been for your father, I'd—"
"Had it not been for my father, most of supposedly your accomplishments today would not have been possible," Frey hissed before Lucius could utter another word, the hand he'd recently been inspecting clenching, only to be forced open again and lowered to the side. "Had it not been for my father, I would never have bothered to help you with your pathetic attempt at being liked, which you're desperately in need of in case that fact has escaped you much like any other useful knowledge I was foolish enough to think you had. I'd call Lucia Cromwell a joke but that would imply I think this whole charade of yours is funny, and my town's well-being is being drained by South Kerilia and unfortunately you're the one person I thought I could turn to in order to fix it. So do better, Lady Cromwell."
The words had been whispered at such a rapid pace the entire trio had to spend a moment of silence to take it all in. Still, even when Lucius had reflected on every sentence and found the boy, once again, a snooty coltsfoot, he couldn't find the words to snap back without causing a scene.
Frey drew a silent breath, and to Lucius' continued horror his eyes brightened without him even moving a muscle.
"I couldn't agree more! I'm so relieved you're in charge now. I'll see you around, Lady Cromwell!" His face had shifted to a living ray of sunlight before he'd so much as uttered the words, and he turned around to walk away in a manner that suggested he might as well start skipping at any moment.
The quiet remained for some time among Lucius and the other two, but Eliza finally managed to break it.
"... My head hurts."
"Is that a child?" Samueli continued, shock fading along with the silence. "Are we certain?"
"'Lest'?" Lucius said instead, turning to Samueli with an almost accusatory stare. "What kind of angler language?"
"Well it's better than a town chief saying 'snitch'," Samueli countered. "I need to make up for my peasant hands, don't I?"
"So a child saw through us at one glance?" Eliza grimaced. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."
"No. No, Frey is a special case." Lucius assured them with a tired shake of his head. "I'm willing to argue he might not even be a human. More like a spoiled cockatoo on top of his father's shoulder."
"And did he actually just discard a new pair of gloves on the floor?" Samueli gestured down. "I heard West Kerilia's town chief likes to spoil his children, but someone's going to waterboard the bastard sooner rather than later."
"Yes..." Lucius said dreamily. "... And we'll make it look like an accident."
"I'd flick your nose again if you hadn't been a town chief among anglers right now," Samueli warned him, and Eliza chuckled.
"Lady Cromwell," someone twittered behind Lucius' back, and he turned around to face the red-haired lady from earlier that day.
"Oh," Lucius blinked, not quite ready to talk to the woman yet and it required an opening and closing of his mouth before he managed to do so. "Lady Marberry... I'm so happy you could make it."
"Well, I was asked here after all." Catherine grinned so her eyes squeezed together, and she raised a glass of wine like a form of greeting. "And I'm curious to know you better."
Lucius returned the smile, but wasn't sure he liked the wording of her sentence. Why 'curious'?"
"We were actually looking for you," he continued and directed Catherine's attention to Eliza, happy to switch topics for the time being. "Miss Garlic's been hired as a temporary replacement for Miss Hartka, due to her absence."
"Oh, what a marvellous relief." Catherine beamed and grabbed Eliza's hand. "And so pretty too, and such a lovely dress! To think one of my maids might actually outshine me like this!"
Due to recent experiences with upper class people, Lucius fixed his eyes on Catherine's face in search of murderous intent. Was the cheerful look just an act, and she'd try to tear Eliza apart any minute because of her looks?
"She certainly is stunning," Lucius agreed in the absence of a reply from Eliza, and he turned towards the woman to give her an encouraging look. "I'm certain she will do a splendid job, won't you, Miss Garlic?"
"Um..." Eliza's eyes were wide, and her mouth trembled as it searched for words while her cheeks were increasingly starting to match her dress. "... Yes?"
Lucius wanted to scream.
Of all times to be smitten, Eliza!
"For the time being however, you might be bored just following me around, and I do have the others looking out for me." Catherine's eyebrows formed an apologetic frown and gestured around to a handful of women standing further away, seemingly avoided by other attendees, so Lucius guessed people knew they were with Catherine, and also who Catherine was.
He'd at least been right about the red dress code, but the women's crimson attires were of an odder look. Certainly not the kind one usually found at a holiday celebration.
"That's an... Interesting look they have," he had to comment, hand doing a vague motion at the dresses void of volume. Their outside stays looked thicker than average, and to top it all off, they all had red capes.
"Aren't they just delightful?" Catherine waved at her maids, but turned back to Eliza. "But imagine if they'd all looked like this. We'd be the talk of the feast!"
Eliza laughed nervously, and Lucius figured it was time to both retreat and move forward.
"Well, Miss Hartka was initially supposed to work in the kitchen while you weren't here, so if Miss Garlic won't be of use to you at the moment perhaps she'd do better there?"
"Oh, well..." Catherine blinked. "I suppose. Though it feels like a shame what with her dressed so nicely and all."
"Um, if... If there's anything I could assist you with during the evening, you just say the word." Eliza, though struggling with it, tried to speak up louder. "Until then, I'm more than happy to help in the kitchen."
"Ah!" Catherine held up her hand to pause. "As a matter of fact, I could use your help with both. The wine served here is far from my taste, but I always make sure they have some of my favourites in the cellar for when I'm here."
"That's perfect!" Lucius pretended to be just as excited as Catherine for little reason. Perhaps it was a contagious attitude. "Why don't you go and get some for her, Miss Garlic?"
Eliza's gaze flickered in Samueli's direction, and Lucius tried to give them both a nod of approval. Eliza wouldn't have any problems sneaking down there, so as long as they could get Samueli past the cook, their heist could continue after all.
"Right. Off I go, then," Eliza said with a strained smile and adequate curtsy. "I will be back in a moment, my Lady."
"Take your time," Catherine twittered with a small wave. "We have all night."
As Eliza disappeared through the crowd, Samueli began backing away as well to sneak towards the kitchen, with Lucius daring to give him a last supportive look.
Catherine's grin remained as she lost sight of Eliza, and she let out a wistful sigh before turning to Lucius.
"Shall we discuss my presence here then?"
"Uh..." Lucius looked around. "... This might not be the best place to have that conversation."
"Oh my." Catherine's eyes widened with intrigue. "Sharing secrets already?"
I have to assume you already know it's a secret, but sure.
"Not to worry," Catherine continued, pulling him along to stand closer to her maids. "They will give us privacy."
"Not a social bunch, huh?" Lucius nodded at the group of red dresses and their owners. "Or do people just... Ignore them because they're servants?"
"Both, I suppose?" Catherine tilted her head with a frown, as if she'd only noticed the absence of guests at that moment. "I don't know, but I always get to speak alone with people with them around."
"Well, they are..." Lucius tried to find a nice word for eerie or intimidating. "... Unique."
"And so are you, I believe," Catherine lowered her voice, and Lucius swallowed. There it was.
"I'm... Going to keep a long story short, but... How much have you heard about what's happened in town since you got here?"
Catherine looked up at the ceiling in thought, seemingly fixing her eyes on the chandelier and Lucius wondered if she'd already lost track of their conversation.
"Not much," she finally replied, eyes returning to stare at Lucius. "I don't wander around a lot when I'm here."
"Because of Damien?"
"Among others."
"Then... You haven't heard about the crumbling sanctuary?" Lucius had to look around to confirm their privacy. "Anthony didn't tell you anything?"
"Oh, yes," Catherine replied, still with a cheerful voice and not looking nearly as bothered as Lucius would have thought she'd be. "He said you-- Or, I'm assuming it's you from what he told me, and that I'm talking to you now, needed help with some kind of unholy presence."
"Yes, that's... That's right. I was caught in quite the horrifying event at that place, and it, uh... When I woke up afterwards there were these... Marks spreading across my chest, and I'm worried they'll turn out to be dangerous."
Catherine's eyes lit up again, this time in delight.
"Lucius Cromwell," she whispered with excitement. "Now it all makes sense again!"
Lucius' breath choked, and a burning sensation ran down his spine.
"La-- Lady Marberry... Do you... Do you know me?" His body wanted to gasp for air. He should not have run out of it, yet his lungs seemed to refuse any supply of it.
Catherine's cheerful expression didn't move the slightest.
"Not at all," she replied with the same happy tone. "I've never even met you."
"Wha—"
"As for those dark veins, I wouldn't worry that much." She raised a hand to gently poke Lucius' chest. "They may be a bother sometimes, but they'll grow on you."
She then paused to reflect on her words, and began laughing uncontrollably. So much so that Lucius took a small step back.
"They'll grow on you," she repeated as soon as she'd regained her breath. "Oh, that's so funny of me. I didn't even realise it at first."
The shock caused by her laughter had drowned out some of the horror Lucius had felt earlier, but now it rushed back at him again, and his dry mouth deprived him of words at first.
"The—" He licked his lips and took a deep breath? "The dark— How— How do you even know what it is? I've never shown it, but... But Anthony didn't tell you either? Or have you... You've seen them before? On someone else?"
"No, I just heard about it—"
"Where!?" Lucius forced his mouth shut before he could raise his voice again, and Catherine blinked.
"Well, from Eliza, mostly." Catherine pointed over her shoulder, and her gaze wandered up to the ceiling again as she thought. "And Mr. Reed."
Lucius was stunned into silence, mind refusing to believe anything she said. Had he even told her Eliza's first name? And why would Eliza know about the veins? And how did Catherine know Tom? Was he involved with her somehow? Were both of them?
Catherine looked back at him, expression suddenly blank, and she blinked again.
"Oh..." She then averted her gaze to the floor, teeth biting into her lower lip. "I— I suppose I just heard things from here and there. I travel a lot, in case Anthony didn't tell you. So—"
"Lady Marberry, you can't expect me to believe anything you're saying right now," Lucius snapped, turning his head away slightly from the crowd. "You know things you shouldn't, and then you change your mind and speak as though you know nothing at all. This problem I have is serious, and if you're joking with me I'd rather you stop now before you make me angry."
"Angry," Catherine repeated to herself, and her eyes narrowed while she seemed to stare into nothing. "... Before I make you angry?"
Lucius didn't have the time to answer. He only flinched as Catherine's wine glass was crushed to sharp pieces in her hand, leaving several shards stuck in her skin.
"Lady—" Lucius began, frustration fading as blood ran down the woman's hand.
"Do you think I'm a joke?" Catherine spat, flicking her wrist to rid it of glass. "Do you think Anthony asked me to come here solely so I could joke around?"
"Uh..." Lucius held up his hands, glancing around to see how many were watching the ruckus. To his further surprise that evening, people just seemed to have withdrawn further away from them without even acknowledging it. "... Let's not draw attention to ourselves, shall we?"
"Why are men always so ungrateful!?" Catherine barely noticed one of her maids coming over to tend to her hand. "It's always 'Why can't you act normal, Catherine?' or 'Don't talk to people because you'll put them in danger'! Just because I know more than you all!? Than everyone!?"
Lucius' gaze was fixed on the glass shards scattered around the lady. He'd seen worse, of course, but it was an unexpected moment for sure.
"I... My—My apologies..." He grimaced as he uttered the words, still feeling queasy about apologies. "I've been assured you're the one person who could help me, so of course I'm grateful. I just... You know... I'm worried this thing might spread further and I dunno, kill me? I grew frustrated and lashed out."
Catherine stared at him, looking somewhat confused, and her facial muscles twitched as she tried settling for an expression.
"Apology," she whispered to herself, not so Lucius couldn't hear. "Yes. That's good. Apologies are good."
She then let her mouth smile again, though somewhat vague.
"All right, then," she said, clapping her hands together and Lucius sucked air through his teeth, imagining the impact against several wounds in her hand. "Where were we?"
"Uh... A way to..." Lucius trailed off, eyes back at the injured hand, except it wasn't injured anymore. The blood on her hands had retreated back into their wounds, where her skin was hard at work to close up again. "... Lady Marberry... Are—Are you like them? Like Anthony and Damien? And Cyril?"
Catherine followed Lucius' gaze to her own hand, and let out a snort.
"Of course." She patted Lucius' cheek with her less wine-covered hand. "Or my life would not be possible."
Had Lucius not known better he would have assumed she was referring to ageing, but unfortunately, he did.
"Are there... Many of you?" He shook his head, growing tired of all the supernatural people coming forward. "Just how common of a thing is this?"
"No, not at all!" Catherine laughed again. "We're the only ones. At least that I know of, and I know a lot."
"Huh..." Lucius nodded slowly, relieved that there was a limit to the overpowered human population but also disappointed that the possibility to become one was far out of reach.
"Then if you know a lot..." His voice lowered further. "... You really do know something about that abominable lightning strike on my body, don't you?"
Catherine opened her mouth to reply, but Lucius held up a hand.
"I don't need to know how. Honestly, I—I think it would be for the best if I don't. Just tell me what to do."
Catherine raised a sceptical eyebrow now, and Lucius tried to await her reply as patiently as his panicked state could muster.
"'Just tell me what to do... What?" Catherine then said, and Lucius let out a frustrated breath.
"... Please."
Catherine's eyes squeezed together again with that big smile, and she leaned in closer.
"First of all, you need to remove them." She swept a finger diagonally across her chest. "Fortunately not a very complicated step, so—"
"Remove as in... Cut the whole thing out?" Lucius stared at her hand, causing Catherine to repeat the motion as if assuming Lucius hadn't grasped what it meant.
"Of course. They're only going to grow, and you won't like it if they eat up your body, so I'd be quick about it if I were you."
Lucius' stomach sank.
"Eat my body?" he croaked, not that the idea hadn't crossed his mind when considering the worst outcomes, but hearing it from someone else was paralysing.
"Well, it's a bundle of unholy parasites after all." Catherine had the audacity to grin with her entire face again. "Cute little parasites, I'm assuming, but dangerous nonetheless. Certainly no fun if left as is."
"I assure you, they're not cute," Lucius said dryly. "And I truly hope Anthony was right in believing you could help me."
"I already am." Catherine raised an eyebrow. "I just said you need to cut them out or they'll eat your—"
"Yes well I already assumed I had to remove them somehow," Lucius interrupted with no wish to hear the eating part again. "But I can't just cut them out of my body. Even with Tom, or some other proficient medic who'd also specialise in otherworldly things, mortal humans can't just split their chest open."
Catherine's big, brown eyes blinked as if this fact had escaped her knowledge throughout however many years she'd been alive.
"Not even... A little bit?" She held her thumb and index finger only slightly apart.
Lucius wanted to glare, but he supposed he had to answer.
"How little?"
Catherine raised her finger again, this time tracing a line across Lucius' chest.
"Wh— No, I..." Lucius' speech failed him. Partly because Catherine was stroking her finger just above where one of his nipples was located and all the way across to the other one, undoubtedly contributing to a rather inappropriate display, and partly because a cut of that size was far from 'a little'.
"Something like that," Catherine concluded, and Lucius did his best not to snap again.
"Lady Marberry, if you don't mind me asking, what would the 'a lot' option look like?"
To his remorse, as he should have seen it coming, Catherine repeated the movement across his chest, but this time she added a vertical line in the middle, from his collarbone to the end of his breastbone.
"It could come to that," she nodded to herself, then meeting Lucius' gaze. "If it spreads much further."
"That first cut is bad enough," Lucius hissed. "Why does it have to be so big?"
"Well, you need to get it all out." Catherine frowned, with a look suggesting Lucius was being silly. "If we assume the best, you will be able to pull them out without tearing them and remove them somewhat easily without having to slice all over the place. But if you ask me, I'd say it's better to be on the safe side and make a larger cut, especially when you dig in deeper to get the nest."
A retch searched its way to Lucius' throat, and he wished for nothing more than to retreat into his own body and cry.
"Dig— Dig deeper?" The pain in his chest got even heavier. "... Nest?"
"Perhaps an odd choice of words for a parasite." Catherine agreed with a thoughtful look on her face. "... Place of attachment? It's just not cute."
How is a fucking nest in my body cute?
"Lady Marberry, there is no way in the Waste I could survive that," he whispered, not without his words trembling. "A shallow cut would be risky enough, but deeper? Depending on this so-called nest's location and how my luck works, I'd have to cut through bone."
Catherine nodded slowly, brow still furrowed in thought.
"I suppose that could be a problem."
Lucius stifled a 'you think?'.
"Well, you have some resourceful friends, don't you?" Catherine stroked his chin with a comforting smile. "I'm certain you could find a way to not die if you all put your heads together."
Lucius shook his head, trying to swallow down the pain clogging up his throat. Even with a miracle cure like the one he'd used on Ivan, he would still have to be alive long enough to get that monstrous cluster out, and that was still assuming Tom could recreate the potion to begin with.
"I don't have that many options," he mumbled, gaze falling to the floor. "Maybe if I had the Archons on my side there'd be something I could do, but I can't even touch a holy symbol anymore."
Catherine's eyes widened.
"Oh, yes, of course." She nodded quicker this time and grabbed Lucius' hands. "That I can help with!"
"What? You— You can?" Lucius' hopes shot up if just a little. "How?"
"What a relief." Catherine breathed out. "Here I thought I'd end up disappointing you, but now I understand. That's why Anthony wanted me here."
"Can you help me? Like you helped that... That woman who'd been in my situation?" Lucius paused, his eyes narrowing with a frown. "... Wait. Why did you say you haven't seen it before? That you didn't know what the veins look like? Cyril said you helped that woman— That— That Bria person. She'd been in the same situation as me, and he said you helped her."
Catherine tilted her head.
"Bria?"
"Bria... Something." Lucius rolled his eyes. How would he possibly remember?"
"I don't know any Brias." Catherine tapped a finger against her lip, once again in thought. "When was this?"
"I don't—" Lucius balled his fists to keep from yelling again. "I dunno. I just... I mean, I expected you to know. How could you not remember such a strange person?"
"Well, you would be surprised by what I consider strange." Catherine slowly swayed from one foot to another in a little dance. "As for this Bria, she may have ended up with the archivist. I'm afraid my mind isn't quite here most of the time."
Lucius opened his mouth to agree, but decided against it as Catherine might not have meant it like that.
"Where is the archivist then? Would they know something?"
"It doesn't matter." Catherine dismissed his question with a handwave. "What matters is what I can do to keep your pretty little face away from hallowed burns."
Peculiar as the lady may be, Lucius found it hard to blame Eliza for blushing in her presence, but instead of acknowledging his hypocrisy he chose to clear his throat and carry on instead.
"I'd very much appreciate that. Please carry on."
"There are other ways to fight a Scourge than divine intervention." Catherine brought out a small mirror from her pocket and began studying her appearance. "They may be pompous entities, but entities nonetheless, and their 'rules' aren't so black and white as holy versus unholy. They just happen to be at each other's throats a lot."
"Please." Lucius held back a sigh, glancing back at the rest of the attendants. It seemed as though they'd had this conversation for hours. "No details necessary. It'll only upset me more."
Catherine made a disapproving face, but put her mirror back into her pocket.
"There's a necklace I can get for you," she said. "It will weigh down your soul and keep it tethered to this plane, to such an extent that otherworldly elements will struggle to reach you. Meaning the Scourge won't have as strong of a hold on you, and the Archons' punishment won't be as intense."
"So... I can touch holy things?" Lucius' mouth remained open as Catherine nodded.
"It won't negate anything completely. I gather you'll still feel some amount of dread whenever you're around hallowed grounds or objects, but they won't hurt you physically, and I think you'll find your Scourge-friend to be less of a nuisance as well. I suppose you could say we're evening things out a little."
"That sounds perfect." Lucius had to laugh through his astonishment. "Where is it? When can you go get it?"
"It's not far, if you're me at least." Catherine raised her shoulders with a smug look. "I just need some form of deposit."
Lucius' concern returned by popular demand.
"Oh, uh... Right. I— I'm... Not really sure what I can give you. Anthony says there's little you can't get a hold of, so—"
"No no." Catherine held up a hand. "Not you. I need a deposit to get the necklace."
"... You?"
"Me."
Lucius hesitated. It seemed odd to protest the idea of free help, but it sounded too good to be true.
"So you don't... Want anything?" His frown deepened. "Isn't this favour I'm asking, I dunno... A lot?"
"In a way," Catherine said absentmindedly as she twirled a lock of her red hair. "I would agree to it even without anything, partly out of curiosity and partly out of pity, but if you want to be of use there's one thing you could do for me."
Lucius pursed his lips. Why had he even mentioned it? Whatever that capricious, BBT lady wanted from him, he assumed it wouldn't be pretty.
"Yes, I... I think that's fair. What is it?"
"Show me the veins." Catherine nodded down at Lucius' chest. "I believe it would be the quickest way for you to help me."
"How would that help?" Lucius had doubts, but Catherine already knew about them so how much harm could a visual addition cause?
"A deposit." Catherine's smile turned playful. "It's a favour for you after all, so you might as well contribute."
"By...?" Lucius began, but he stopped himself and let out a sigh instead. "... Of course I'll agree to that."
"Splendid!" Catherine clapped her hands, and before Lucius could move an inch to defend himself she had already grabbed his gown by the neckline and pulled it out just enough to see the grotesque cluster of dark veins spreading over his chest.
"Wait— Lady Marberry!" he hissed, trying to pull away from Catherine with little success. "I didn't mean here!"
Lucius turned his head towards the other attendants, remorsefully locking eyes with an exquisitely dressed man who was just walking by further away. Neither of them said anything, refusing to avert their gazes as it would acknowledge the awkwardness of the situation.
"Aw, look at them!" Catherine said with inappropriate excitement as she examined Lucius' chest. "They really are quite the sight, aren't they? And I had no idea they were that big."
Lucius, though screaming on the inside, remained in the emotionless staring contest with the other man, desperately wishing he would pick up his pace.
Then Catherine noticed their spectator as well, and she blinked while realisation dawned on her.
"Oh no, it's nothing." She dismissed the man with a smile and a handwave. "I was just talking about her breasts."
The inner screaming continued, but Lucius finally managed a smile of poorly hidden pain.
"... As all ladies do."
"Well, I do understand your concern better now," Catherine said as the man had finally walked far enough. "That thing won't be easy to cut out."
Lucius' shoulders slumped, though his dress made it difficult.
"I don't know what to do there. Unless we can poison the whole thing or something, in a way that won't affect me." He knitted his eyebrows. "Just... Some way to kill it before it spreads further, then we'd have more time to figure something out."
Catherine hummed, followed by a brief moment of silence.
"That sounds... Sinister. You'd put your own body in danger too."
"Well... That's the one way I know to deal with threats," Lucius muttered under his breath. "Sinister is the only thing that's ever worked for me."
A small wrinkle appeared between Catherine's eyebrows, and she sighed.
"I'd like to ask you for another favour," she said, and Lucius winced, hands instinctively wanting to cover his chest.
"I— I'm grateful for your help, Lady Marberry, but—"
"What I want is that you give your actions some thought," Catherine interrupted, voice softer than before. In an odd way, it was even uncannier than her usual behaviour. "I want you to keep in mind that... Just because someone is assigned a role, it does not mean they have to play it."
A chill found its way down Lucius' spine, but he couldn't figure out why. He had to assume she meant him, but why? What role did he play that he wasn't supposed to?
"You don't have to tell me." He looked away with a nonchalant shrug, thoughts reluctantly reaching memories of his parents. "I learned that the hard way."
"Of course, you're practically an adult after all." Catherine nodded. "I just want you to keep it in mind for future events."
Lucius frowned, but still smiled at the woman, delighted to finally reach a place to end their conversation.
"Well then, Lady Marberry., I should really get back to the other attendants, but I trust we'll be keeping in touch?"
Catherine beamed again.
"Why, of course."
Lucius released a quiet breath as he turned around, only to be halted a moment after.
"Lucius?" Catherine said behind him, voice now lowered to a mere whisper, and Lucius turned around to a Catherine he'd never seen before.
A troubled Catherine.
He raised his eyebrows, waiting for the lady to continue.
"Do not, under any circumstances, subject yourself to an exorcism," she said, and the unsettling concern in her eyes made Lucius' heart skip a beat.
Still, he could have predicted as much.
"With how things turned out last time, I wouldn't consider it anyway."
Catherine stayed silent as she eyed Lucius, frown easing up by the second, until she hummed again, lips pouting as her usual mood returned.
"Well, maybe you would..." She shrugged. "... Maybe you wouldn't. Who knows?"
"I learned my lesson. If this is what happens..." He gently placed a hand on his chest. "... I won't risk it again."
"I'm sceptical, but I strongly agree." Catherine patted Lucius' shoulder, to his disgruntlement. "And it was wonderful to meet you, Lucius. You really are as beautiful as they said."
She gave him a last wistful smile before turning away from him.
"And so very alive."